Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-06-05
LIFE IN NEW YORK.
THE NEW ITALIAN INVASION WHAT
WILL BIN ITS EFrEcTt
The Latest Female craze-srophe
About Plays A story Of Frank Mayo
"a Wandering Minstrel" Etc.
correspondence of the Richmond Di.pa,ch.l

NkN 1oRH, June 4, 1881.
Any one who has spent day in Cas-
tie Garden during the past month of
May, while the swell tide of immigra-
ton has been rising, got very vivid
idea of the strange variety of races that
are now swarming so our shores. In
other years we used TO wonder at the
ship-loads Of Germans, Irish, and Scan
dinayians, but nowadays we see the
wholesale immigration of races that
never until recently entered into the
composition Of the American people
especially Slavoniars, Jews, and Ital-
ians. l have been more particularly
struck recently by the Italians, whom
j have watched with the deepest in
terest as they rush ashore from the
transports or huddle in the Garden,
every man of them with his little pack
of worldly goods upon his back. Last
year we saw the Italian tide at this port
rise TO the volume of $4,000 souls
which was far beyond that of any pre-
vious year, and for the first five months
of this year we have seen it approach
one half that number, with an as
surance of far surprising any past year
before the record Of 1887 is made up.
Very interesting, indeed, is this influx
Of the Italian race, destined to be in
fiuential in the formation of that COM
posite American character which, as
yet, is but in the process of develop
ment. The Latin element of our pop
ulation has, up to this time, been slight
and unimportsnt but it is evidently
destined hereafter to be q serious fac
tor in the evolution of our national
life. AT first the Italians strike the eye
as being unusually short in stature,
few of them being over five feet five or
six but one quickly sees that they are
a hardy stock, firmly set in the bones,
strong in the muscles, with a stout
grip, and moving with tread full
of nervous energy Their dark-skinned
faces are anything but stolid in fact,
they have o look of alertness and self
possession not seen in all other classes
of immigrants who pour into Castle
Garden. They are, suspect, very much
such hosts as followed Cesar in his cam
paigns, and who, contrary to a wide
spread notion, were not men of huge
stature, but men of just about this size,
as ethnologists have shown. When any
group of them are welcomed by friends
upon landing you see the most pleasing
expression of geniality upon their coun-
tenances. and they fall to talking with
that volubility and solf-command which
yon find everywhere among the pea
santrv in soufbern italy
THEIR PART N OUR RACE.
A most excellent addition 30 our
American population, firmly believe,
are these swarming children OF old
Italy. "Italy," says Mr.. Taine, "the
eldest daughter of modern civilization,
the virulent heiFoss of the Roman
pride, and the antique patriotism. 1t
would be very easy toindulge in specu-
lation as to the probable influence of
this new strain now being added to the
plastic American genius. In short
time this Latin blood will be inter
mingled with the two great races which
have cOlSnized our country. Will
these Italians, in case they continue TO
come hithCr as they are doing now,
transfute into American veins, on any
measuee, those qualities which for ages
past Lave gwen color TO Italian history?
Wiz they promote, for example, onr
artistic sensibilities or touch our spirit
with the inspiration of music? Strange,
perhaps, may seem such question as
I'VE glance at these impoverished and
ragged herdes now huddled at Castle
Garden but strange onlyto those who
are unaware of the depths to which the
artistic sensibility has penetrated, for
instance, in Naples or Florence.
One might wander far through the
field of thought here suggested, and,
passing from the new Italian tidal wave
to the new Slovenian tidal wave, might
speculate upon the changes in the
American national character that may
result therefrom, and become apparent
in the generation that will hold the
stage at the dawn OF the twentieth CEN
fury.
WOMEN on A STAGE COACH.
We were walking up Fifth avenue in
the edge of the evening, when suddenly
my friend, who is a disciple of forms
and fashions, gave a perceptible start
and exclaimed: Good gracious
What next?" He tilted up his classic
nose and raised his hands q Ia Delsarte
in way that spoke volumes. / fol-
lowed the direction OF his eyes and saw
nothing but an ordinary Fifth-avenuc
stage-One of those run from Union
Square to the park. odd you see
them ?" he gasped.
"No; whom, where?"
"Why the young ladies sitting on the
top of the stage that has just passed. "
"On top of the stage, how Jolly
Let's try it, l exclaimed.
it took some coaxing, but at length
curiosity got the better of his regard
for good form, and with unusual gene
rosity lie decided to sacrifice comfort
rather than allow young lady to ride
on stage alone.
The ancient moon was IN retirement,
but the moons of modern invention
threw forth unusual splendor.
"Step en- the wheel, Miss, an give
me yer hand. III pull you up" WAS
the drivers sensible advice on the rules
of mounting. The top Of stage IS
some distance from mother earth, aud
modern dress skirts were never meant
to climb poles in, much less scale the
side Of stage-coach, but when woman
sees anything new there is no use to say
Poo; she won't scare off. So the
foot on the wheel, tight clasp of the
hand. suppressed scream, and we sank
hreathless on TO the high seat by this
driver, with the sleeve busted out of
our new spring wrap and the front
trimming torn off of our dress, but
what did that count with the friend on
one side and, well, the driver on the
other and many feet below the two AMI
mails?
on TOP SEATS.
"Do many girls ride on the stages
ROW, driver?"
eyes, Miss" he replied, with a
smile. "We haven't got room enough
for ell who want outside. Out at the
station they will stand for hours to get
their turn for the top seat.
"what started the style ?"
81 don't know, unless it was putting
them mp there when the inside was
fill, They got to like it, and soon the
corepanv will have to mt all the seats